Grenada government-Diaspora partnership in education proposed

MONTREAL, Canada — A Grenada government minister is seeking the support of nationals abroad in providing more educational opportunities for young Grenadians living at home in the Caribbean.

Tourism Minister Peter David told Grenadians in Montreal on Saturday that the continued assistance of nationals in the Diaspora in required for Grenada’s further development.

“While under our government we have increased the number of tertiary educational opportunities for the youth of our nation, there are still too many of them that do not get that opportunity,” David said in the keynote address at celebrations in Montreal marking Grenada’s 38th anniversary of independence.

He said that for each youth that is denied a scholarship opportunity, “we have failed to seize the opportunity to invest in our collective future. It is something that maybe the government and the Diaspora can work together on – setting up a college education fund that will provide more study opportunities for the young people back home.”

Under the current government in St George’s headed by Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, more government scholarships have been made available to young people at colleges and universities in countries such as China, Morocco, Cuba and Venezuela.

“Maybe to supplement all of this, we may want to look at a government-Diaspora partnership,” said David, who is also minister for civil aviation and culture. “I put this out there for what it is worth, and urge the beginning of a dialogue on the issue.”

While David was in Montreal, Thomas was in Toronto on Saturday evening addressing another function honouring Grenada’s independence.

“I join the prime minister in the call he made to his audience in Toronto for the building and consolidation of a coalition between our people at home and abroad that will aggressively enhance our government’s development agenda,” said David, MP for the Town of St George.

“I make the same call Prime Minister Thomas has made – to encourage specialists and professionals in health, education, business and other sectors, to offer their service to our people back home.”

The government, David added, is also seeking the cooperation of nationals abroad “in finding markets for existing Grenadian products and to help in research and development of new ones. I urge you to continue to work with the Office of Diaspora Affairs and the Grenada Industrial Development Corporation, the Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies – the both public and private sector – in this regard.”

According to the minister, “It has indeed been proven time and time again in the last 38 years, that there is nothing that we cannot achieve when we come together as a people.”

A minute’s silence was observed after David informed the audience of the passing in Grenada on Saturday afternoon of former Prime Minister George Brizan.